Pest Control of Vineyard Grapes

Grapevines are under constant attack from a variety of threats. Pests are one of these threats, and there are several different types of pests including disease, insects, birds, and deer that attack vineyards.

Disease limits the production of grapes. Some of the common diseases for grapevines include fungus, black rot, mildew, phomopsis cane, and leaf spot. It is generally easy to tell that the vine is under attack by some type of disease, they will display symptoms that include leaf discoloration, lesions on the leaves, decay of the berries, and a possible film covering the leaves. While it is easy to tell that the grapevine is suffering from some type of malady, in order to determine the exact infliction and figure out the best solution the cause will need to be researched thoroughly.

Insects like grapes as well. There are any numbers of these pests that can do tremendous damage to your grapevines if not dealt with quickly. Leafhoppers are small insects that fee on the undersides of the grape leaves, but they require large numbers to do significant damage. Grape Berry Moths lay eggs directly on the surface of the grapes and when they hatch bore into the berries leaving small holes that are a tell tale sign of infestation. The Japanese beetle and Rose Chafers are insects that also like grapevines. Grapevines are fairly resilient and can withstand moderate amounts of insect damage.

Birds can cause tremendous damage to a vineyard, and preventing them from attacking the grapes is the best measure of protection. Placing a physical barrier over the crop is a good measure of prevention, and because grapes grow on a trellis installing a net is a realistic, easy installation. Visual repellents can also be used such as placing artificial hawks or owls in the vineyard, or aluminum pie plates hanging from the trellis.

Deer loves grapes as well, actually, they love to eat the young spring shoots from the vines when other food sources are scarce. Odor repellents are extremely effective for use against deer, human, dog, soap, or a natural predator's scent like coyote are all effective.

Preventing pests from attacking a vineyard is a constant process that should be taken seriously. The crop usually represents a significant investment to the grower, and its protection is always a priority.